It may sound ironic, since many young women diet because they are conscious of their bodies and weight, but the younger a woman is when she diets the less likely she might be to benefit, health-wise in the future. These are the findings of a long-term study looking at how dieting affects your health. The younger the diet age the more likely a woman is going to experience weight control issues in her 30s.

Bulimia, alcohol misuse and problems with obesity; not the ideal wellness picture for young women. However, behavior stemming from issues about weight could be linked to how young a woman is when she first starts to diet. While the causes are not determined by the Florida State University study, it does raise questions about how young women are leading their lives and the impact this might have on their health in the future.

The study involved college women who were followed for the next 10 years after they graduated and who reported their history of dieting and weight. Groups of women were looked at in 1982, 1992, 2002 and 2012.

What you can do as an adult!

One of the greatest gifts you can give to girls and younger women is to be a solid role model; to set a good example of how to live a healthy lifestyle and to reinforce the positives of a good exercise plan. Women who fret over their weight without taking proactive steps to change their diet and to get fit are often a reflection of the general lack of body confidence and neuroses about real and imagined physical inadequacies that pervade the lives of so many women of all ages. In turn, this filters down to bolster stereotypes about women and also to influence the mindset of girls as they become women and learn to be comfortable with their own bodies.

Encouraging a healthy lifestyle in young women

A greater emphasis on wellness could inspire young women to lead healthy lives and this positive message cannot come soon enough given that so many youngsters are tackling obesity in ever increasing numbers. Encouraging more activity outdoors, less screen time and a healthy diet of fresh produce rather than convenience foods is a good start, especially as young girls and women grow and their bodies change.

The solution for women today

What has to be considered is that psychology and nutrition both play a part in women’s diets. On the flip side, it is far too glib to simply tell women that they should be happy with their weight or their physical appearance if they genuinely are not. Women might end up being overweight because they have dieted early and not benefited from a healthy eating plan. However, the fact remains that for many of these women, unhappy about their weight, a solution is needed.

Finding the right strategy to follow a balanced, healthy diet and a suitable fitness program work toward the right results can be confusing if you go it alone. With a welcoming fitness community that focuses on real results you no longer need to battle misconceptions about nutrition or work out without reaching your goals.

We can also give you a great motivational boost to get you going and keep you going in the right direction.